The Fall North American Championships III

by Phillip Alder

The 60- final of the Baze in Denver last year was between:

Rose Meltzer, , Steve Garner, , and and , Larry Kozlove, Neil Chambers, , and .

In the first quarter, there were nine flat boards. On four of the other six, Meltzer gained a total of 12 international match points. Here are the two deals that resulted in big swings.

North Dlr: South ‰ A Q 9 Vul: Both Š 8 5 ‹ J 10 7 Œ Q J 10 6 2 West East ‰ 2 ‰ J 10 7 5 4 Š A K 7 4 Š Q J 10 9 ‹ A K Q 9 8 5 ‹ 6 4 2 Œ 5 3 Œ A South ‰ K 8 6 3 Š 6 3 2 ‹ 3 Œ K 9 8 7 4 Table 1: West North East South Kozlove Morse Kasle Sutherlin Pass 1‹ Pass 1‰ Pass 2Š Pass 4Œ (a) Pass 4‹ Pass 4Š Pass 4NT (b) Pass 5‹ (c) Pass 6Š Pass Pass Pass (a) : four-plus hearts and a singleton (or ) club (b) Roman Key Card Blackwood (c) One key card

Table 2: West North East South Meltzer Schermer Mohan Chambers Pass 1‹ Pass 1‰ Pass 2Š Pass 3Š Pass 4‹ Pass 4Š All Pass

Kasle's splinter bid worked better than Mohan's game-forcing three-heart raise. (We try to avoid a splinter with a bare ace, but sometimes it is the best choice.)

1 Note that Kozlove and Kasle use 30-14 RKCB, not 14-30, which potentially hurt them here, because if East had been able to reply five clubs to show one key card, West could have checked for the heart queen with a five-diamond inquiry. Making 12 tricks was easy and Kasle gained 13 imps on the board.

Three boards later came:

North Dlr: East ‰ 10 9 4 3 Vul: Both Š 9 3 ‹ 6 5 4 2 Œ 10 7 4 West East ‰ K Q J 7 ‰ – Š 8 Š K J 6 5 4 2 ‹ K 10 ‹ A J 8 7 3 Œ A Q J 8 6 3 Œ K 5 South ‰ A 8 6 5 2 Š A Q 10 7 ‹ Q 9 Œ 9 2 Table 1: West North East South Kozlove Morse Kasle Sutherlin 1Š 1‰ 2Œ Pass 2‹ Pass 3NT Pass Pass Pass

Table 2: West North East South Meltzer Schermer Mohan Chambers 1Š 1‰ 2Œ Pass 2‹ Pass 3NT Pass 4Š All Pass

Kozlove had no difficulty in three notrump. He won the first trick with his spade queen, cashed the diamond king (dropping South's nine), and overtook his diamond ten with dummy's jack. South won and shifted to a club, but declarer had eleven tricks: one spade, four diamonds and six clubs. Mohan's decision to remove to four hearts looked like it would work out badly, although at dou- ble dummy, it would have taken a minor-suit lead to defeat the contract. But South, looking at three tricks, tried to cash his spade ace at trick one. However, declarer, who was not playing with glass cards, ruffed and led a low trump. Now he had to lose four heart tricks. Plus 660 and plus 100 gave Kasle another 13 imps. At the end of the first quarter, Kasle led Meltzer by 27 imps to 13.

There were only three flat boards in the second session, but most of the swings were small. Over 14 of the 15 boards, the score was Kasle 24 Meltzer 14. This was the one sizable swing:

2 North Dlr: South ‰ Q J 10 9 6 5 Vul: None Š A Q 10 ‹ 2 Œ Q 8 3 West East ‰ K 7 4 3 ‰ 8 2 Š J 9 8 6 Š K 7 5 4 3 ‹ 6 ‹ J 8 5 4 Œ K J 10 7 Œ 9 2 South ‰ A Š 2 ‹ A K Q 10 9 7 3 Œ A 6 5 4 Table 1: West North East South Passell Garner Jacobus Smith 2Œ Pass 2‹ Pass 3‹ Pass 3‰ Pass 4‹ Pass 4Š Pass 4‰ Pass 5‰ Pass 6‹ Pass Pass Pass

Smith's hand is worth two clubs, but the knowledge that the auction is likely to start 2Œ-2‹-3‹ would dissuade some players from that opening. Of course, as seen at the other table, catching up after start- ing with one diamond is also tough. After the two-club opening, North was going to push toward a slam. East led the club nine, ducked to West's king. Back came the club ten to dummy's ace. After that, declarer could have got home with mirrors (including finessing trumps on the first round!), but eventually he had to concede a second club trick for down one.

Table 2: West North East South Meltzer Kasle Mohan Kozlove 1‹ Pass 1‰ Pass 3Œ Pass 3‰ Pass 4‹ Pass 4Š Pass 4‰ Pass Pass Pass

At this table, Kozlove was probably a tad nervous that they had missed a slam, but all was fine. East led the heart three. North won with his queen, ruffed the heart ten with the spade ace, cashed the diamond ace, and continued with the diamond king. When West ruffed low, declarer over- ruffed, drove out the spade king, and in the fullness of time also lost a club trick. Plus 50 and plus 450 gave Kasle 11 imps and a halftime lead of 62 imps to 27.

To be continued.

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